Astrology and the Science of Right Timing

by Jessica Girija Jewell

A friend and I were talking recently about how we make plans — and how life so often rearranges them. She joked that it would be nice to know when those surprises were coming, when the clock was quietly moving us into the next hour. I said that astrology is used for just that — to understand the timing of our lives, when the clock is ready to strike and something new is set to unfold.

The Science of Time

In Jyotish — the astrology of ancient India — timing is central. When do we act, and when do we wait? What do we cultivate, and what do we let rest? Jyotish is often called the science of light, but it is equally the science of time. The movements of the planets reveal when the karma we are here to experience is ready to unfold. The planets are like the hands of a cosmic clock, showing when certain people, opportunities, and circumstances will appear. When we learn to read that clock, we can better move in rhythm with life itself.

Two Clocks of Karma

There are two main ways that Jyotish reveals the movement of time. Transits show the current positions of the planets — the universal clock that marks the changing weather of the world around us. Dashas describe the unfolding sequence of planetary periods unique to each person, like the inner clock that governs which karmas are ripening within us. Together, these two systems show how the outer and inner movements of time weave through our lives. When we understand both, we can see more clearly where we are in the cycle — which hour of the story we’re in — and respond with greater awareness rather than surprise.

Jupiter’s Lesson

Right now, one of the most significant hands on the cosmic clock is Jupiter. In the sidereal zodiac (using the Raman ayanamsha), Jupiter moved into the sign of Cancer on October 3. It will continue forward until November 11, when it turns retrograde, appearing to move backward in the sky. Then, just before the winter solstice, on December 20, it will re-enter Gemini.

Jupiter, or Brihaspati, is known as the teacher of the gods — the planet of wisdom, faith, and expansion. Its movement often signals growth, new understanding, and the widening of perspective. Yet expansion always comes with a question: how much is too much? Jupiter magnifies whatever it touches. It can bring insight, generosity, and opportunity — or overreach, indulgence, and excess.

In Cancer, Jupiter expands the instinct to care, to nurture, to protect. It opens the heart but can just as easily smother what it hopes to shelter. Growth in this season comes from recognizing where compassion ends and control begins.

When Jupiter returns to Gemini in December, attention shifts from feeling to thought, from protection to communication. Gemini is quick, curious, and conversational — a sign that delights in exchange. Under Jupiter’s influence, ideas multiply, words flow more freely, and the mind hungers for meaning. Yet this too asks for discernment. Speech is a form of creation, and what we say gains momentum in the world. Jupiter in Gemini reminds us to speak with care — to let words mature before releasing them. As it says in the Mahabharata, “Words spoken too soon are like fruit picked before it’s ripe.” Wisdom sometimes lies not in saying more, but in knowing when to speak.

Participating with Time

Astrology, at its best, is both predictive and participatory. It helps us see more clearly what time it is — not only in the sky but in our own unfolding lives. Just as a clock tells us when it’s time to leave the house or begin a task, astrology shows us when to act or pause, and also where and how our efforts may be best directed. Knowing the hour allows us to prepare, to meet each moment with awareness, and to participate more consciously in the movement of life.

Wherever you find yourself this month, may you notice what time it is for you — and meet it with presence.